


I FRICKIN' LOVE THAT BOOK!

by Lady_Nerd



Series: Johnny and Peter are awkwardly perfect [1]
Category: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Coffee, David Eddings, First Meetings, Johnny is actually a total dork, M/M, Meet-Cute, One Shot, Spoilers for a couple of books, because we gotta have one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 03:24:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8429977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Nerd/pseuds/Lady_Nerd
Summary: Peter and Johnny meet cute. The title makes it obvious.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much I had a dream. So I wrote this based off of that dream. I was Peter. That is all I will say. *There will be a few spoilers for several books written by David Eddings. This is your warning.* Also if you haven't read his stuff you should because his works are beautiful underappreciated gems of sass and adventure.
> 
> Rated Teen jic cause I swore some. Not Beta-read. Please don't judge me.

"Pita Pucker?" The voice of the barista called out over the massive throng of people filling the coffee shop. Peter surveyed the crowd and when no one else moved forward to collect the drink and accompanying pastry bag he started to shove forward to collect it. It was ridiculous. He knew that this place was renowned for getting people's names wrong, but his name wasn't even hard to spell. Plus he was a regular. Every Thursday after his last college course of the day, if Peter had enough money to scrape together, he would stop into the shop and treat himself to a large coffee and that week's specialty baked item. That week it was gingerbread muffins with icing drizzled on top.

If the staff couldn't get his name right at this point than it was on purpose. It had to be a conspiracy among the baristas: provide the bare minimum of service with an undertone of rudeness and unwelcome in order to drive customers off the premises and ensure that they had exclusive access to the wifi. And normally it would work too... If it weren't for the pounding rain outside that drove the previously mentioned crowd into the shop and then encouraged them to stay there. 

"Pita Pucker?!!" The barista was sounding irritated by the time Peter was finally able to push through to the pickup bar. He gave them a tight smile in thanks as he grabbed the items from them. His heart sank as he once more looked over the crowded shop and realized he would not make it to the front door without sacrificing at least one item to the mass of people and probably the other to the storm outside. With a sigh he shuffled towards the back where there were a few tables located.

It was just as crowded as the front and Peter was starting to resign himself to eating his muffin while standing awkwardly against the wall when he saw it. There was a seat. He'd  almost missed it, it was pushed in and located at one of those tiny tables meant for two. The opposite seat was already taken. On a normal day Peter would pass over the seat based on this fact. But this wasn't a normal day. It was rainy, cramped, and Peter had just had two tests and a lecture that went on for forever, he just wanted to sit down and have his damn treat, oh and a guy in a business suit and raincoat had also spotted the seat and was headed toward it. So Peter did what his socially awkward self would normally never do: he bolted for the seat, slammed his coffee down in front of it seconds before raincoat man got there.

"IS THIS SEAT TAKEN?!" he demanded. Raincoat man didn't need the seat anyway. He had a _raincoat_. He could _leave_ without getting _wet_. Stupid raincoats and umbrellas and the fact that Peter didn't have one.

"Um- no? You can help yourself." A voice came across the table to Peter. He heaved a sigh of relief and sent a smug smile towards raincoat guy.

"Than...k you." Peter's voice momentarily died when he turned to face his tablemate to find Johnny Storm sitting across from him. As in THE Johnny Storm. As in famous race-car driver/part time model/one time actor/why is he even famous in the first place? Aside from being hot? He's like a likable blonde male version of a Kardashian/brother to famous Dr. Susan Storm/Brother-in-law to his hero Dr. Reed Richards/Peter really needs his coffee and to stop rambling/VERY HOT _Johnny Storm_. Peter was speechless for a moment. That is, until his gaze dropped to the book Johnny was holding open next to his Pumpkin Spice Latte.

"OH MY GOD I FRICKIN' LOVE THAT BOOK!" In Peter's defense, while he probably should not have shouted, it was previously stated he was not functioning at his highest brain levels at that moment in time.

"You've read _The Redemption of Althalus_?"

"Only like a thousand times growing up! The library stopped marking my name on the checkout list for it. I never would have though that _you_ -" Peter decided he really should drink that coffee he bought before he put his foot further into his mouth.

"Not exactly what you picture a brain-dead celebrity blonde reading huh?"

"Exact-I mean, NO-I MEAN, You're not-I-Sorry!" Too late. Johnny, bless him, only quirked a immaculate eyebrow in amusement.

"Dude, chill. I know what the public's idea of me is. Everyone seems to forget that you actually need brain cells to do the things I do with a car. Plus genius sister. This stuff was my bread and butter growing up."

"Really?" Gorgeous and a closet nerd. Just the thing to make Peter weak in the knees.

"Yeah. I've read this at least ten times. I love Eddings! Only problem is no one seems to know who the hell he is."

"I know right! I mean the last time I tried to talk to someone about it they compared Dweia's door to the Tardis and dismissed the whole thing as scifi and not worth reading."

"DUDE. NO. Just no. I'll admit that the idea of Anywhere and Anywhen is similar, but _everything_ else is completely different. Especially the context and its whole point in the story! Plus it's a fantasy! If you _have_ to compare it to a mainstream series then go for Game of Thrones or Tolkien. NOT Doctor Who!"

"THANK YOU! That's exactly what I said!"

"Did you read the _Elder Gods_ series?"

"Do _not_ get me started on those books!"

And so Peter found himself in the unexpected and surprisingly pleasant position of discussing literature and scifi vs. fantasy with Johnny Storm in his favorite coffee shop. The two of them became so involved in their conversation that they didn't notice the rain outside stop. They didn't notice the shop slowly emptying of anyone else other than them and the staff. They talked until they finished their drinks and snacks, and then talked through most of their second round which Johnny treated Peter to. They talked for hours, the only break being one time when Peter had to use the restroom. They probably would have kept talking into the night if Johnny's phone hadn't eventually gone off. 

"Shit!" He sprung up from the table. "I've gotta go! I promised Sue I'd go to some stupid event with her. I'm gonna be late!" Peter swallowed down a wave of disappointment at the blonde leaving. 

"Oh. Well it was nice meeting you." Johnny raced to the door before stopping at the last moment and spinning empty handed to look at Peter.

"Yeah-Same! Oh, about my book.."

"Yeah? Um... Where is it?" Peter looked from Johnny to their table which was empty except for a few crumpled napkins and their discarded cups.

"You- You mean it's not on the table?" 

"No."

"SHIT!" In the blink of an eye Johnny was back and searching around the table. "Where is it?"

"I'll help."

It took ten minutes of them crawling on the floor and looking into every nook before Peter finally found the book. It was wedged halfway behind a trashcan and looked like it had gotten knocked there after falling off the table.

"I found it!" He held it over his head like a trophy. Johnny's head popped up from the other side of the room.

"You did?"

"Yeah. And good thing too. It looks like it was an inch from getting thrown out." Johnny gave a audible sigh of relief and ran his hand through his golden hair.

"You found it. That-that's good."

"Yep. Here." Peter held the book out to Johnny with a smile.

"Actually," Johnny backed towards the door with a smirk, "You can keep it!" And with that he darted out of the coffee shop and down the street. Peter stood there dumbfounded.

"What. The. Hell."

What kind of douche has you help him search for something, crawling on the floor, for over ten minutes and then goes 'Oh, never mind. You can keep it' when you finally find the damn thing? What the hell? Peter was confused, flustered, and angry. He was half tempted to throw the book out. But he loved  _The Redemption of Althalus_ and he didn't own his own copy. So after an internal struggle he returned to his seat and started to flip through the obviously well read book. But if it was so obviously well loved why did Johnny just leave it? Celebrities are crazy and do pointless things for no reason. Even really hot blonde ones with nice smiles who can discuss Daeva's actions and whether or not they are justified. Time to move on with life and dismiss it as another odd day in New York. Interesting but with nothing ever coming of it. Peter drained the dredges of his coffee and stood to throw it out when something caught his eye. There was writing on the book's inside cover. Opening the book fully Peter was able to clearly read the words.

_(xxx)xxx-xxxx_

_Maybe next time we can talk over dinner._

_Call me?_

_Johnny ;)_

If Peter happened to let out a whoop and do a little victory dance then it was between him and the baristas still standing at the counter.

 

 

 

*bonus*

"You did WHAT?"

"I told him he could keep it!"

"Johnny you can't just-that poor boy."

"What? It was clever! And romantic!"

"Clever? Johnny! That poor boy, he probably just threw it out."

"Throw it out? Why why would he throw it out? And-HAH! See, he just texted! _Told you_ it would work!"

" _Sigh._ "

(Johnny lives in a special world where he forgets that not everyone has the same thought process as him.)


End file.
